


Syrupy Slow

by Kilithedwarf



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuddling, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kuro is ackowledged but he isn't actually there, M/M, Post Season 3, a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 15:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11947053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kilithedwarf/pseuds/Kilithedwarf
Summary: Keith was standing there watching Lance as he was being dragged across the large room. He was screaming and flailing; trying anything that would get the machine to release its grip from around his chest. Without much thought Keith picked up Lance’s bayard, aiming at the arm of the machine. Keith admitted long ago that he was never much of a shooter. That was Lance’s talent; one of the many things that made him stand out, but, Keith knew he had to do something. He wouldn’t, no, he couldn’t let Lance go.





	Syrupy Slow

**Author's Note:**

> I just realized how weird of a word syrupy is.

Keith was standing there watching Lance as he was being dragged across the large room. He was screaming and flailing; trying anything that would get the machine to release its grip from around his chest. He noticed the blue paladin's bayard laid on the ground beside him and without much thought Keith picked it up, aiming at the arm of the machine. Keith admitted long ago that he was never much of a shooter. That was Lance’s talent; one of the many things that made him stand out, but, Keith knew he had to do something. He wouldn’t, no, he couldn’t let Lance go. 

Keith moved his feet, stood with them shoulder-width apart, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. A blue orb flew out of the gun and grazed his target. Fortunately for him, that was enough for the machine to let go long enough for Lance to crawl out and run towards him.

The room was utter chaos. Despite it being large, with tall ceilings that other ships could easily fit it, almost every inch of the room was being occupied by some sort of fighting. Allura finally joined in the battle, utilizing her fighting skills and even a bit of magic she picked up. Shiro was taking down Galra soldiers one by one with his galra-tech arm, being the champion he was. Hunk and Pidge were fighting back to back, protecting each other where they were at their weakest while simultaneously annihilating anything that went near them.

Then there was Keith; standing there amongst the mass destruction looking at Lance and Lance was looking back at him. It was a moment of peace within a war. Everything was slow motion and calm. Lance realized in that moment, that if he were to die right now, dying beside Keith would be the best way to go. 

While Shiro was gone, they had become friends. The best of friends whom always had the other’s back. From the moment Lance put his comforting hand on Keith’s shoulder, something had changed between them. They had gone from “rivals” to two people who sought each other out for training, advice, thoughts, opinions, worries and even just to spend time together. They had helped each other grow in a way nobody else could help with. Lance helped Keith with his temper; something that had been almost a fatal flaw for him many times. Keith had helped Lance with his serious insecurity issues, showing Lance that he’s so much more than the comedic relief and a flirt. 

They had become co-leaders and an unstoppable force once they got going. 

When Lance had finally reached Keith, time no longer stood still and everything went back to disorder. It was loud, brutal, and harsh. The room was full of pain, anger and fear. Keith handed Lance his bayard and nodded as if there were a silent agreement between the two. Lance had spent an embarrassing amount of time around this boy that he could decipher what that look meant. It was a promise. Lance wasn’t sure was the promise was but he could guess. He could guess that it was a promise to talk, to talk about them and probably that moment that passed and all the moments before then.

Lance may flirt with everything that walked but none of it was serious. He liked seeing people giggle and blush at his antics. It made people happy, whether that be temporary or not and that in return, made him happy. 

He knew that his feelings for Keith were different. They were something that grew over time like a flower blooming. The feelings took nurturing and love and care for them to grow, which surprisingly Keith had provided. 

Lance had discovered that Keith was a complicated character. He wasn’t surprised that he was something more under that “angsty” exterior and bad temper. He just didn’t realize how caring and loving Keith really was. He was impulsive naturally, but once someone he cared about was threatened, any rational thought was out the door and long forgotten no matter who tried to tell him otherwise. 

He wasn’t the best at noticing people’s moods but when he did realize someone he cared for was hurting or sad, he tried his best to change that. He wasn’t a man of many words but he tried to show his affection with his actions. At first he would never outright hug someone unless they initiated it first, nor would he put a hand on someones shoulder but instead he would subtly try to be someone to vent to. He used his lack of talking to his advantage and was genuinely a good listener once you got to know him. Overtime Lance had realized this touched-starved boy didn’t know how to be affectionate and taught him that it was more than okay to ask for a hug when he needed one and to ask someone if they wanted a hug if he thought they needed one. 

Keith realized long ago he liked Lance. It’s why he showed off so much in school. He never wanted Lance to think he was being a show off; he just wanted to impress the boy whom he thought was so great. He only went along with this rival act because he thought that was all he’d ever be to Lance and in his mind, being a rival to him was better than being nothing. Yes, sometimes he was antagonistic and thought he crossed the line but whenever he did, it practically ate him alive. So when they became friends, people who comforted each other and supported one another, he savoured every moment of it. 

And because of this growing friendship, Keith had discovered how broken Lance really was. Obviously he knew Lance was overcompensating by the way he came off as this flirtatious and arrogant Rico Suavé. He just didn't realize by how much until Lance came to Keith second guessing himself as a valuable member of the team.

Lance would sometimes make self-depreciating comments and then laugh at himself. At first Keith thought maybe Lance was trying to show him an attempt at a more humble side of himself but the comments grew meaner and more frequent.

Lance hid this side from everyone else, knowing how upset it would make Hunk and Pidge and thought he would be just another problem Shiro and Allura would have to deal with. Of course there was Coran but no one really knew what the heck he was talking about most of the time and Lance didn’t want to have to pick apart some cryptic advice Coran would likely give him. He figured Keith was safe. He wouldn’t tell anyone else, nor would he judge. It did upset Keith though, because he saw Lance’s abilities and his potential. Keith, who may not be constantly running his mouth, had no problem vocalizing how he felt. He wore his anger and occasional fear like it was a badge of honour. Much to Lance’s shock, Keith taught him that being insecure was something normal to feel but that it was something that desperately needed to be worked on which Keith was more than willing to help with. 

He wanted his new friend to see how wonderful and important he was because Keith knew how much Lance deserved to see it. 

All these thoughts and emotions occupied the minds of the two boys who were fighting side by side. When they first became part of Voltron, they would never have protected each other’s backs, but now, fighting to keep the other alive was their main priority. That’s what kept these two boys alive, in fact, that’s what kept this team alive. They cared so deeply for one another that that’s why they were so good at staying alive. They had a mentality that if something bad were to happen to them, they would be one less person who could keep their friends alive and that was something they would never be okay with. They all stayed alive to protect each other and it worked so very well for them. 

The team knew there was no ending to this particular fight that would involve them winning. By now, they knew how to pick their battles. 

Shiro had yelled for them to retreat back to the ship and to stay alive. Lance was having a hard time walking and Keith noticed. He grabbed Lance by the waist.

“Can you shoot like this?” Keith had asked.

“They don’t call me sharpshooter for no reason.” Lance replied, adding a wink at the end. 

Lance did his best shooting at everything he could, but occasionally Keith would have to stab his sword when a Galra got too close. 

Fortunately for them the lions weren’t far away. They were circling the Galran fighting ship; waiting to be told what to do. 

“I don’t think I can fly blue.” Lance admitted. “It hurts to much to sit.”

Keith didn’t hesitate in taking Lance into Red with him and helping him walk towards one of the walls of Red, where he could prop himself up while Keith piloted. 

They were back to the castle in just a few ticks. Keith had rushed Lance off to the infirmary, practically stripped off his armour and forced him into one of the healing pods. 

Once he knew Lance would be okay, he spread out on the stairs and closed his eyes.

“What happened?” Shiro asked.

“A machine claw dragged him across the ship. I think he broke a few ribs.” Keith answered, not even lifting his head to look at Shiro. 

“He’s going to be okay.” Shiro reassured. 

“I know. I’m just…” Keith began to say. 

“I know.” Shiro said.

He had taken a seat beside Keith and was putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

Pidge and Hunk came bursting in a moment later.

“That jerk!” Pidge shouted. “He’s always getting hurt and making us worry!” 

“Oh man. Is he gonna be okay? He’s going to be okay. We would all be crying if he wasn’t going to be okay.” Hunk said. 

He saw Keith on the floor and pulled him up into a bear hug. 

“Thank you for saving him.” Hunk said, choking on his words. 

Keith gave him a quick hug back, appreciating the gesture. He always admired how friendly and loving Hunk was. He often found himself thinking what Hunk would do in a situation that didn't require his sword or shield. 

Next, Allura came running in. 

“Lance!” She shouted.

“He’s okay Princess, Keith thinks it was just a few broken ribs.” Shiro said. 

Allura visibly calmed down and joined the rest of the Paladins who were now all on the ground. 

Being a Paladin was exhausting and they had come to the realization that it wasn’t getting easier. It was not something they could become good at but instead something they had to quickly learn to become adjusted to. 

Slowly but surely the Paladins left. They either went out to shower, sleep, or do both. Keith was the last to leave but only moments after Hunk. He knew he would want to be clean and somewhat rested for when Lance got out. He was scared that he would sleep too long so he left a cheesy note for Lance, saying to go to his room just in case Keith wasn’t there when he was better. 

He hoped no on else would see the note. 

While the team had noticed a massive change in their relationship, they were somewhat oblivious to how deep their feelings went. While Shiro thought Keith might have a secret soft spot for Lance, he knew better than to bring it up. Hunk noticed Lance’s lack of flirting and considered the possibility that he might have a crush but didn’t think it could be on Keith of all people. 

The two boys were good at keeping this thing between them. It wasn’t something they wanted to hide or would if it ever became of anything, but they liked having something secret and personal between just the two of them. 

Keith had taken his time in the shower. He liked to pretend that the water was washing away all the scars the battles had left; whether that be physically or emotionally. For him, showering was temporary relief, it was his therapy. He didn’t always have hot water living in the middle of a desert despite it being disgustingly hot, so he took advantage of what seemed like an infinite supply on the castle. 

Lance had convinced him a while ago to utilize the Paladin pyjamas Allura had given them all and Keith was forever grateful. Sleeping in the soft fabric of the pyjama’s was forever better than sleeping in old jeans and a faded t-shirt. He had slept better now than he had in his entire life. 

Keith had crawled into bed and lulled himself to sleep by thinking that it would be the best and easiest way to kill time before he was going to see Lance. 

A while later Keith felt someone crawl into the bed with him. Lance and him had never gotten this far. Their hugs occasionally lingered but could never be considered cuddling. Keith wasn’t going to complain about this change. 

He had moved over, allowing Lance more room but Lance just scooted closer. They weren’t touching but just staring at each other. 

“Hi.” Lance whispered. 

“Hi.” Keith whispered back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too. Thanks for saving me.” Lance said.

Keith was still sleepy, barely awake from his nap. He didn’t really think when he rubbed his thumb against Lance’s prominent cheek bone. 

“Any time. You know I’ll always be there to protect you.” Keith mumbled. 

Lance kissed Keith’s palm and moved into the touch. He was the baby of the family and was used to constantly being cuddled, hugged, and kissed. While Lance did have Hunk, someone who would be willing to give him a hug anytime he wanted, he was still surprisingly touch-starved. 

Lance moved his hand over Keith’s and held it. This moment of peace was nice. It was what they deserved. Between Lotor and his generals getting their hands on what could possibly be an “anti-voltron’, finding out Shiro wasn’t actually Shiro but a poor clone convinced he was, adjusting to different lions and then adjusting back to their old ones, the exhaustion these Paladins felt was bone deep. You could see the tiredness in their eyes, in their posture and even in how they moved. 

Lance was fading fast. The peacefulness, tranquility and comfortableness in this moment created a cozy environment that would put even the trickiest of toddler’s to sleep. 

The two boys had moved closer together; Keith practically cradling Lance’s head and stroking his fingers through his hair. 

They fell asleep moments later with Keith’s hands gently intwined in Lance’s hair and Lance resting his head into Keith’s chest. 

Keith had woken up after an unknown amount of time. For some reason, the castle lacked clocks making it almost impossible to know what time it was.  
All Keith knew was that Lance and him were tangled together. Lance had adjusted himself so his chin was on top of Keith’s head, while Keith covered Lance protectively with his body. He never considered himself much of a cuddler but he knew he was already used to this. 

Lance began to stir quite a few ticks later. He kissed Keith on his head and then began to shimmy down so that they were back to being face-to-face. Keith pulled Lance by the back of his neck so that their foreheads rested on each other and they both closed their eyes. 

This moment was almost overwhelming for the two boys. Neither had experienced such pure serenity since back on earth, and even then, Keith couldn’t even remember if such a time existed for him. It was something so wondrous and beautiful, wholesome and soft. 

Lance mimicked Keith’s earlier action and pulled the back of Keith’s neck so that their lips met. Both boys were rather inexperienced. Sure Lance had kissed a few girls back at the garrison, but they were hardly more than a quick peck and Keith had only ever been kissed once when he was forced into a game of spin the bottle. Nonetheless, the kiss was good. Like the moment, it was soft. It was almost syrupy slow as they were still exhausted despite their uninterrupted nap. They kissed for a long time but the pace almost always remained at a slow rhythm. They were savouring this magical and beautiful moment. 

When Lance pulled back he kissed Keith on the nose. 

“You’re cute.” Lance smiled.

“Thank you?” Keith Blushed.

“You’re welcome.” Lance laughed. 

Lance had rolled on his back, pulling Keith’s head so that he was laying on his chest. Lance had waited a long time to be able to play with Keith’s hair. It was so smooth and shiny. 

“I took the note you left.” Lance said. “Pidge would have never left you alone about that if she ever saw it.” 

Keith glanced up at Lance’s face and kissed the side of his jaw. “You’re a life saver.”

They laid there thinking. Unbeknownst to them, they were thinking about the same thing. They were thinking about what they would do if someone of the team walked into Keith’s room during their very personal moment. They knew once they realized Lance wasn’t in the pod, they would go looking for him. And assuming they went to Lance’s room first, they would go to Keith’s second. They were also thinking about how everyone would react to seeing them like this. 

Keith thought Shiro might be shocked but keep his composure. He might give them a small smile and nod and say he’s happy for them before leaving them to be.

Hunk would probably act the most surprised. He might tear up that two of his friends are together and in the middle of falling in love. He might jump on the bed and pull them into a group hug and then leave them be after telling them how happy he was while tears streamed down his face.  
They figured Pidge would make some cliché comment about how they’re gross but they both know deep down she would be excited and happy for them. 

They weren’t quite sure how Allura would act. Nor did they want to think about Coran and any possible speech he might have prepared. Coran seemed like the kind of person who would be far to happy to teach them about sex education and the dangers of dating a fellow paladin. 

Neither boy planned on hiding that they were dating, they just didn’t know how to bring it up. While Lance had the flare for being dramatic, he didn’t want the team to think for a second that this was a joke to him. Of course he would tease Keith and brag to people about him, but he was serious about this. He may be young but he was in this for the long run. He didn’t like thinking about it but he could die at any moment. Of course, anyone could die at any moment but he was at a constant threat unlike most and because of that, he lived his life at 110%. 

Both of the boys waited for the knock at Keith’s door. They figured it was inevitable but the knock never came. Instead both of the boys fell asleep again. 

They woke up what they figured was the next morning and drifted into the kitchen to find Shiro eating goo alone. 

“So this is what you do in your free time?” Lance asked in a teasing tone. 

Shiro looked up from his bowl with bags under his eyes. Normally this concerned the rest of the team because this was a sign that their fearless leader wasn’t getting enough sleep but now they’ve come to accept the fact that those bags were a permanent feature on his otherwise handsome face.

“You two don’t have very long before Hunk comes in here and gets emotional about you two.” Shiro said. 

Lance and Keith both gave him a confused look.

“Pidge saw you walk into Keith’s room last night. It took everything I know to bribe her and Hunk from bursting into your room. I thought it would be best to let you sleep.” He continued. 

Keith gave him a smile of appreciation before sitting at the table with food goo for both him and Lance. 

Shiro finished his bowl a few ticks later and got up to leave. Before though, he put a reassuring hand on Keith’s shoulder and gave Lance a stern nod. 

Although neither boy would be up for the teasing, they couldn’t help but smile. It was lame and cheesy but moments like these kept them alive. It kept them level headed. But mostly, it kept them excited for the future.


End file.
